Today's Reality Check

"Sitting in the dirt, slum children attend class under an overpass in New Delhi. The free school is run by teachers Rajesh Kumar Sharma (left) and Laxmi Chandra (center)."
Photo: Altaf Qadri, Associated Press / SF

Today's Wisdom

Oregon Tough!

Out walking the dog this morning, I came across this in the local park. These are seven-year-olds playing their weekly soccer game. What you can't see in this arguably way blurry phone photo is that it's raining pretty hard. The kids don't seem to mind. I guess if you want to play any little league sport in Oregon most any time but summer, you have to be rough and tough enough to play in the rain!

Today's Laugh: Kid Poetry

When out walking the dog in the morning, I often pass a local (SE Portland) elementary/middle school. They have what is known as a poetry post on one corner - there may be more, but this is the one I see. A poetry post is a, um, post with a box on it like the type realtors might use to allow you to take a flyer or the box may just be flat with a space to, um, post something in it. They are all over; people have them in front of their houses with a favorite poem or poetry of their own.
This morning as I passed the school, I saw this wonderful kid poem. Enjoy!

(I really love the "I want my life back" line!)

Today's Laugh

Dangling Back Spiral Earrings

More new earrings! I've had these for a little while in my booth at the Saturday Market and everyone seems to really like them.

Heavy enough for a nice swing, but still comfortable to wear. Based on my Back Spiral earwire earrings, these make those into a heartier dangle on a simple handcrafted wire. Dangling Back Spiral Earrings are modern, almost deco-y in style and are now available in my Etsy shop for you too!

Dotted Hoop Earrings

Well, to say I haven't posted new items to my Etsy shop in a long time is an understatement. It's not for a lack of new designs. It's more pure, unadulterated laziness. Really. Photoing, writing a clever description, getting it together; it hasn't been happening. Not that these items haven't been for sale, on the contrary. They've just been available in my booth at the Portland Saturday Market.

Late last week I finally put it together for a couple of new designs. Here's one: Dotted Hoop Earrings. Sweet hammered sterling hoops adorned with heat-formed rivets, now in my Etsy shop. They are actually part of a small line; I also have dotted leaf shapes and dotted bars. Maybe someday I'll get around to photoing them too...

Putting Things Into Perspective

Today's Laugh: Seriously Not Funny

Goodbye to a Wonderous Genius

Today's Laugh

Today's Reality Check: Child Labor

"Growing up without a childhood: Only 5 years old, Naginah stacks bricks at a brick factory where she and her family work on the outskirts of Islamabad, Pakistan. Naginah earns 250 rupees per day, or $2.77."

Photo: Muhammed Muheisen / Associated Press

Today is World Water Day

Probably the most important issue of our time. One in seven people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water. The crisis effects women more than men, because women and girls are the ones that must collect the water for their households. They are put in danger and kept out of school.

There are many organizations working on solutions and providing water pumps to villages in developing nations. Find one. Help out.

Find out more at Water.org , or  Charity:Water or through the United Nations or google World Water Day. If you are in Portland, join the Water Walk on Saturday March 24th.

Today's Laugh

Paul Gilding: The Earth Is Full

A stunning TedTalk* by Paul Gilding that is a must see for everyone. Ideas worth spreading indeed. Watch now. It's about 16 minutes long.

*if you're not familiar with TedTalks, you should be. They are amazing, inspirational, educational and a bunch of other "als".